This chapter discusses a prediction that the Bar would retain most of its advocacy market (aside from losses to the Crown Prosecution Service and Criminal Defence Service), as well as the associated ...
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This chapter discusses a prediction that the Bar would retain most of its advocacy market (aside from losses to the Crown Prosecution Service and Criminal Defence Service), as well as the associated prerogatives of silk and judgeships. The solicitors' market was more valuable, vulnerable, and volatile. House-selling was to be vertically integrated, with solicitors unlikely to be the big winners. Conveyancing was to be concentrated, since consumers cared more about price than quality. Multinational partnerships would proliferate, although some City firms would dominate rather than be subordinated to foreign lawyers (even Americans) and multidisciplinary partnerships would expand. And the future of law, like all knowledge industries, lied with the specialist. Restrictive practices that had withstood criticism for centuries collapsed in less than a decade. The market was truly inexorable.Less

Defending the Temple

RICHARD L. ABEL

Published in print: 2004-05-06

This chapter discusses a prediction that the Bar would retain most of its advocacy market (aside from losses to the Crown Prosecution Service and Criminal Defence Service), as well as the associated prerogatives of silk and judgeships. The solicitors' market was more valuable, vulnerable, and volatile. House-selling was to be vertically integrated, with solicitors unlikely to be the big winners. Conveyancing was to be concentrated, since consumers cared more about price than quality. Multinational partnerships would proliferate, although some City firms would dominate rather than be subordinated to foreign lawyers (even Americans) and multidisciplinary partnerships would expand. And the future of law, like all knowledge industries, lied with the specialist. Restrictive practices that had withstood criticism for centuries collapsed in less than a decade. The market was truly inexorable.

This chapter focuses on the importance of neutral partisanship among lawyers, and why it is vital for a sound legal system. Two main arguments are presented to prove the important value of neutral ...
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This chapter focuses on the importance of neutral partisanship among lawyers, and why it is vital for a sound legal system. Two main arguments are presented to prove the important value of neutral partisanship for the good of society. The first argument states that neutral partisanship is important for some institutions such as the liberal government. The second argument states that neutral partisanship is necessary to promote and maintain certain social values such as dignity, autonomy, and equality. Although these two arguments are important they still fail to fully prove that neutral partisanship is more beneficial than harmful. In some cases, a lawyer's amoral role to his client's innocence or guilt can even lead to more harm on the society.Less

Justifying Neutral Partisanship

Donald NicolsonJulian Webb

Published in print: 2000-02-03

This chapter focuses on the importance of neutral partisanship among lawyers, and why it is vital for a sound legal system. Two main arguments are presented to prove the important value of neutral partisanship for the good of society. The first argument states that neutral partisanship is important for some institutions such as the liberal government. The second argument states that neutral partisanship is necessary to promote and maintain certain social values such as dignity, autonomy, and equality. Although these two arguments are important they still fail to fully prove that neutral partisanship is more beneficial than harmful. In some cases, a lawyer's amoral role to his client's innocence or guilt can even lead to more harm on the society.